Kern Valley Healthcare District
Critical access hospital in Lake Isabella, CA.
Verified from the hospital's own policy
Kern Valley Healthcare District likely gives free care to households with a yearly income up to $15,960 for 1 person, $21,640 for 2, $27,320 for 3, $33,000 for 4, $38,680 for 5 or $44,360 for 6. It likely gives a discount to households with a yearly income up to $63,840 for 1 person, $86,560 for 2, $109,280 for 3, $132,000 for 4, $154,720 for 5 or $177,440 for 6.
The hospital makes the final decision.
| People in household | Free care up to | Discount up to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $15,960 | $63,840 |
| 2 | $21,640 | $86,560 |
| 3 | $27,320 | $109,280 |
| 4 | $33,000 | $132,000 |
| 5 | $38,680 | $154,720 |
| 6 | $44,360 | $177,440 |
Discount steps
- 0% to 100% of poverty level, you pay $0 (charity care)
- 101% to 400% of poverty level, you pay 90% to 55% off total charges, and no more than Medicare or Medi-Cal would pay
How to apply
- Call (760) 379-2681, ext. 512 and ask for financial assistance.
- Application form
- Charity Care and Financial Assistance, KVHD#6351 (revised 9/26; on file with HCAI 09/29/2026)
- Bring two recent pay stubs (2 months' worth) or current W2, or federal income tax return (Form 1040), a letter explaining how you meet daily needs if you have no income.
- We do not have the deadline yet. Apply as soon as you get a bill, and ask the billing office to pause collections while you apply.
If you have insurance
Insured patients can also apply for help with deductibles and copays. Keep your insurance. Financial assistance covers bills from this one place only.
What is covered
- Covered
- Emergency and medically necessary inpatient and outpatient hospital care, including emergency room doctor fees.
State program in California
Hospital Fair Pricing Act (Health and Safety Code 127400 et seq.)
Every licensed general acute care, acute psychiatric, and special hospital in California must have a charity care policy and a discount payment policy. A patient can ask for help if they are uninsured (self-pay) or have high medical costs, and their family income is not more than 400% of the federal poverty level. Hospitals may choose to help people with higher incomes. With a discount, the bill is capped at about what Medicare or Medi-Cal would pay, whichever is greater. You can apply at any time, even after a bill goes to collections. Immigration status does not affect eligibility.
Income levels in the program are discount up to 400% of poverty level.
Applies to each licensed general acute care hospital, acute psychiatric hospital, and special hospital in California.
Apply to the hospital's financial assistance office. Each hospital's policies and applications are posted on its website and on HCAI's Hospital Fair Pricing Policy Lookup (https://hcai.ca.gov/affordability/hospital-fair-billing-program/hospital-fair-pricing-policy-lookup/).
Is a self-pay patient OR a patient with high medical costs; AND Patient's family income is not more than 400 percent of the federal poverty
Program source, checked 2026-11-10
Hospital Bill Complaint Program (HCAI)
A free state program at HCAI. If a hospital wrongly denied you financial assistance, did not tell you about its programs, or sent you to collections the wrong way, you can file a complaint online (English and Spanish) or by mail (many languages). You must have applied to the hospital first for HCAI to review an eligibility decision. If HCAI finds you paid too much, the hospital must refund you within 30 days. It covers problems on or after January 1, 2022. It does not handle general billing disputes, price transparency, Good Faith Estimates, or bills from emergency room doctors.
Applies to complaints about any hospital covered by the Hospital Fair Pricing Act.
File online through the Patient Complaint Portal (https://hcai.ca.gov/affordability/hospital-fair-billing-program/hospital-bill-complaint-program/should-i-file-a-complaint/) or mail the Patient Complaint Form to Department of Health Care Access and Information, Hospital Bill Complaint Program, 2020 West El Camino Avenue, Suite 1101, Sacramento, CA 95833.
If you believe you were wrongly denied financial assistance, you may file a complaint with the Hospital Bill Complaint Program.
Program source, checked 2026-11-10
Emergency physician discount rule
Most hospital policies cover only the hospital's own bill. Emergency room doctors often bill separately. California law also requires an emergency physician to give discounts to uninsured patients and patients with high medical costs whose family income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level. Ask the doctor group's billing office for its discount policy. HCAI's complaint program does not handle emergency doctor bills.
Income levels in the program are discount up to 400% of poverty level.
Applies to emergency physicians who provide emergency medical services in a California hospital that provides emergency care.
Ask the emergency physician group named on the bill for its discount payment policy.
an emergency physician who provides emergency medical services in a hospital that provides emergency care is also required by law to provide discounted care
Program source, checked 2026-11-10
Notes
Free care only at or below 100% of the poverty level. From 101% to 400% you get 90% to 55% off total charges, and you never pay more than Medicare or Medi-Cal would pay. The policy does not say which discount goes with which income. The application packet says insured patients with high medical costs can apply for a discount if their medical costs are more than 30% of monthly gross income. Timing of your application will not be held against you. You can apply by email, mail, or online, or with help from the Financial Counselor at 6412 Laurel Ave., Lake Isabella, or [email protected]. To dispute a decision, call the Revenue Cycle Manager at (760) 379-2681, ext. 336. The hospital will not report you to credit agencies. The policy does not say whether savings are counted for eligibility. The application packet includes a plain language summary and language help lines in many languages.
Sources
- Free care level
Patient's whose income is at or below 100% of the federal poverty level will qualify for charity care, which is free care.
- Discount level
Patients whose income is between 101% and 400% of the federal poverty level will qualify for a financial assistance discount (90%-55% discount of total charges).
- Discount steps
a qualifying individual will not be required to pay more than the greater of the Medicare or Medi-Cal payment amount for the same service.
- Insured patients
to uninsured patients, underinsured patients, and insured patients with high medical costs.
- Documents
Two recent pay stubs (2 months' worth) or current W2 are required for both charity care and the financial assistance discount.
- Financial counseling phone
Phone: 760-379-2681 ext. 512
- Deadline
KVHD will not deny eligibility for financial assistance based on the timing of a patient's application.
Last checked. 2026-11-10
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